TLDR: What’s the best keyboard piano for beginners at/under $150-$200? (6 ideas w/ prices at end of post.) Sorry, ADHD = Talks ()WAY() too much! 🫣
My 11 year old daughter loves playing on her friend’s keyboard/piano every now and then when she’s able to go to her house, and she has been asking for one for probably over a year now.
We finally decided to get her one for Christmas this year since she seems consistent with wanting one, but she’s the oldest of FOUR GIRLS (1, 3, 8, & 11) so that budget is reallllll tight this time of year as you can imagine, especially just coming off of back to back to back birthdays! Haha. We’d like to keep the price between at/under $150ish (no more than $175 - $200 max).
Here’s the thing tho, I know absolutely ()NOTHING() about pianos and the little I read on a couple websites today about various actions and pedals and whatever else confused me. I’m not at all musically inclined, so this is all like a foreign language to me. Hell, I can’t even sing along to songs without absolutely butchering it, and ()FORGET() about seizing vertically— ahem, I mean— “dancing”! Lmfao!
Strongly desire one that comes with a stand and bench, built-in speakers, and preferably headphones and/or a microphone too, or at the very least jacks for them. Bluetooth or USB connectivity seems like a nice feature too maybe? Aside from that idk. Maybe one that does teaching? How does that even work? She also likes the keyboards that play other instruments sounds (like guitar, bass, organ, etc.), or at least that’s my understanding of their function. Also, I doubt she’ll ever practice and be consistent enough to ever teach performing or even using using a traditional piano with the heavy keys, so maybe unweighted or semi-weighted keys? And is 61 keys a good number for a preteen, or should I be looking at less?
Basically I need someone to explain it to me like I’m 5, or even better just tell me the best one or two of the keyboards below! Haha.
The top 3 were rated 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in best for beginners on various websites, and 3 I found while searching on Amazon this morning.
Any help or insight would be immensely appreciated! I really want my daughter to love it because she’s super smart, gets great grades, got student of the month the first month, won 2nd place in the spelling bee (and she won 1st place last year!), and she is overall just a really good girl so she deserves the best I can find within our means!
1– Best Choice Products 61 Key Beginner Complete Keyboard (#1 Winner on two different websites I saw) 4.6 Stars / 5,955 Reviews $160 https://a.co/d/eMHne3L
2– Yamaha PSR-E283 61 Key Portable Keyboard (Only one on list without stand/bench, but only brand I’ve ever heard of before.) 4.7 Stars / 112 Reviews Currently $130 (Normally $190) https://a.co/d/dGCiFC6
3– Best Choice Products 61 Key Electronic Keyboard 4.6 Stars / 3,210 Reviews $110 https://a.co/d/j67hMBL
4– Rockjqm 61 Key Keyboard 4.5 Stars / 43,718 Reviews (#1 Best Seller on Amazon) $110 https://a.co/d/eb4RsRH
5– Hamzier 61 Key Keyboard 4.5 Stars / 4,974 Reviews $130 https://a.co/d/hfHdz3q
6– Donner 61 Key Keyboard 4.4 Stars / 3,752 Reviews Currently $120 w/ coupon (Normally $170) https://a.co/d/i5qqdRz
Videos
I can only find youtube videos for "beginner" keyboards, most of which don't have 88 keys, weighted keys, and/or a good sustain pedal. What would you guys recommend?